Preparation andin vitro/in vivocharacterisation of a melt pelletised paracetamol/stearic acid sustained release delivery system

The potential of a sustained release formulation for paracetamol produced by melt pelletisation was investigated. After the production of the pellets, based on the combination of stearic acid as a melting binder and anhydrous lactose as a filler, the 3000-2000 µm size fraction was selected in the light of the promising in vitro dissolution results for further charac- terisations, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), specific surface area and true density determination. Hence the release mechanism was analysed with the help of an appropriate mathematical model. The mathematical model was built on the hypotheses that drug diffusion and solid drug dissolution in the release environment are the key phenomena affecting drug release kinetics. Bioavailability of the developed formulation was evaluated in an in vivo study in eight subjects.